Case Study 1 Managers vs Leaders Bucknell Incorporated (Bucknell) is a small manufacturing company that produces parts for the

automobile industry. The company has several patents on parts that fit in the brake assembly of nearly all domestic and foreign cars. Each year, the company produces 3 million parts that it ships to assembly plants throughout the world. To produce the parts, Bucknell runs three shifts with about 40 workers on each shift. The supervisors for the three shifts (Art, Tom, and Carol) are experienced employees, each of whom has been with the company for more than 20 years. The supervisors appear satisfied with their work and have reported no major difficulty in supervising employees at Bucknell. Art supervises the first shift. Employees describe him as being a very hands-on type of leader. He gets very involved in the day-to-day operations of the facility. Workers joke that Art knows to the milligram the amount of raw materials the company has on hand at any given time. Art can frequently be found walking through the plant and reminding people of the correct procedures to follow in doing their work. Even for those working on the production line, Art always has some directions and reminders. Workers on the first shift have relatively few negative comments to make about Arts leadership. However, they are negative about many other aspects of their work. Most of the work on this shift is very straightforward and repetitive and as a result is monotonous. The rules for working on the production line or in the packaging area are all clearly spelled out and require no independent decision making on the part of workers. Workers simply need to show up and go through the motions. On lunch breaks, workers are often heard complaining about how bored they are doing the same old thing over and over. Workers do not criticize Art, but they do not think he really understands their situation. Tom supervises the second shift. He really enjoys working at Bucknell and wants all the workers on the afternoon shift to enjoy their work as well. Tom is a people-oriented supervisor whom workers describe as very genuine and caring. Hardly a day goes by that Tom does not post a message about someones birthday or someones personal accomplishment. Tom works hard at creating comradery, including sponsoring a company softball team, taking people out to lunch, and having people over to his house or social events. Despite Toms consideration for employees, absenteeism and turnover are highest on the second shift. The second shift is responsible for setting up the machines and equipment when changes are made from making one part to making another. In addition, the second shift is responsible for the complex computer programs that monitor the machines. Workers on the second shift take a lot of

heat from others at Bucknell for not doing a good job. Workers on the second shift feel pressure because it is not always easy to figure out how to do their tasks. Each setup is different and requires different procedures. Although the computer is extremely helpful when it is calibrated appropriately to the task, it can be extremely problematic when the software it uses is off the mark. Workers have complained to Tom and upper management many times about the difficulty of their jobs. Carol supervises the third shift. Her style is different from that of the others at Bucknell. Carol routinely has meetings, which she labels troubleshooting sessions, for the purpose of identifying problems workers may be experiencing. Any time there is a glitch on the production line, Carol wants to know about it so she can help workers find a solution. If workers cannot do a particular job, she shows them how. For those who are uncertain of their competencies, Carol gives reassurance. Carol tries to spend time with each worker and help the workers focus on their personal goals. In addition, she stresses company goals and the rewards that are available if workers are able to make the grade. Individuals on the third shift like to work for Carol. They find she is good at helping them do their job. They say she has a wonderful knack for making everything fall into place. When there are problems, she addresses them. When workers feel down, she builds them up. Carol was described by one worker as an interesting mixture of part parent, part coach, and part manufacturing expert. Upper management at Bucknell is pleased with Carols leadership, but they have experienced problems repeatedly when workers from Carols shift have been rotated to other shifts at Bucknell. Case taken from: Northouse, P.G. (2004). Leadership: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

If your team were consulting with Bucknell about leadership, what changes and recommendations would you make regarding the management of Art, Tom, and Carol?